A Call for Help
by relic yuy
Summary: Riley has a lot of questions and few knowledgeable people in life who he can trust. So how about asking a complete stranger? Ziley


AN: First Ziley fic. Well sort of. Mostly a Riley fic but for the sake of Ziley so I think it still counts. Once we get into the phone conversation, the narration ends and it's all dialogue. Let me know if it's hard to follow or you can't figure out who is talking when.

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Riley stared at the phone. He picked up the receiver for the 4th time, cradled it between his shoulder and ear and reached a shaky hand towards the number pad. A wave of anxiety washed through him and he snatched the phone off his shoulder and dropped it back onto its cradle. He breathed heavily and picked up the little card. Should he?

Twisting the card between his fingers and worrying his lower lip between his teeth he thought of the consequences of not calling. How bad could it be?

He picked up the phone again with renewed courage. His eyes flipped back and forth from the card to the dial pad as he pressed each number with precise care. He certainly didn't want to get the wrong number. If he dialed the wrong 800 number, he would be having a very embarrassing conversation with his mother once the phone bill came in.

Shit! It was ringing!

Riley gripped the phone so hard his knuckles trurned white. Should he hang up? Maybe he wasn't ready for this. He should have planned this out better. What was he going to say? Another wave of anxiety and Riley almost hung up again.

"LGBT Hotline. This is Josh, how may I help you?"

Oh no!

"Um... I..."

"Hello?"

"Hi."

"Hello. You don't need to be nervous. Let's start with a name?"

"Huh?"

"A name? It doesn't have to be your real name."

"It's um... Riley... I mean... crap."

The man on the phone laughed. "It's okay, Riley. The hotline is completely confidential. Anything we discuss will stay between us."

Well, that was encouraging.

"So what did you want to talk about today, Riley?"

And the anxiety was back.

"Oh... uh... maybe it's nothing. It's probably nothing. I don't want to waste your time."

"Riley?"

"Yeah?"

"You called in today because you have no one else you can talk to, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Whatever you need to ask, it's okay. That's what we're here for. You're not alone."

"It's kinda embarrassing."

"I thought that too the first time I called in."

"You called in before?"

"You bet. The hotline helped me out a lot. I'd like to do the same for you."

"Ok... It's just that... I've been seeing this guy for a while now and he's great, we have a lot of fun together but lately things have been getting more... intense."

"Intense? What kind of intense?"

"You know... _intense_."

"Riley, you'll have to spell it out for me. Violent, intense?"

"NO!"

"Well that's good. So it's the hot and heavy kind of intense."

"Yeah."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yeah, for sure but I've just... never... You know..."

"I see. So you have some questions."

"I just don't know where to start."

"Okay. Let's start by giving your boyfriend a name. It doesn't have to be his real name."

"Z... Wayne?"

"Ok. How long have you and Wayne been together?"

"A couple of months... on and off."

"Alright. Have you been exclusive?"

"Yeah."

"And just how much exploration have you done so far?"

"Mainly just kissing and a little touching... maybe more than a little."

"Okay. Are you good with where it is right now or are you looking to explore a little more?"

"The... the second one."

"That's natural in a relationship. Before we go on, Riley, I have to ask you, are you a virgin?"

"...Yes."

"And Wayne?"

"... I don't know. He seems more confident than me.'

"You've never discussed it?"

"I... I don't think I really want to know."

"Well, just to be on the safe side, maybe you should both go get tested."

"Can't we just use a condom?"

"Yes. You should definitely always use a condom but it's always better to be cautious. Condoms can tear and some STDs can be transmitted orally."

"Okay. So we'll definitely be using condoms. What else?"

"What would you like to know?"

"Everything. All I know is what I've seen in... on the Internet."

"The Internet is a great resource. There are lots of sites with some great information."

"Yeah but it's a bit overwhelming."

"It can be but remember, you don't have to be an expert right off the bat. You and Wayne will probably do a lot of exploring before you become really comfortable with one another. All couples go through it."

"I... I asked my doctor... he said that I shouldn't do it. He said I could do a lot of damage... back there."

"You spoke to your doctor and he didn't recommend testing?"

"He doesn't know that I'm gay. He thought I wanted to try anal with my girlfriend."

"I see. Well, he is right to a degree, you _could _do a lot of damage if you aren't careful but there are lots of ways to prepare yourself and your partner so the experience can be safe and enjoyable for the both of you."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. But before we get into that, I want to let you know about the alternatives. There are some gay couples who have wonderful, healthy sexual relationships with very little and in some cases no penetration at all."

"How?"

"Well there's, as you and Wayne have been doing, petting, kissing and there's also toys, mutual masturbation, fellatio, rimming..."

"Is that... what I think it is?"

"Probably."

"..."

"The point is that there are lots of ways to make love without penetration."

"So you don't recommend penetration either?"

"Is that what you and Wayne want?"

"I think so."

"That's okay too. It's perfectly reasonable and you've already taken the first step by calling in. You'll want as many facts as possible before you can make that decision. Even if it is embarrassing, communication is a huge part of relationships and in many cases, we as guys tend to bottle up our feelings which can lead to trouble that could have easily been avoided. We can provide you with all the information you'll need about cleaning, preparation, protection, positioning..."

"Positioning?"

"Yeah, some positions are easier than others for the first time. Some are more comfortable, some more pleasurable, some rather acrobatic…"

"That's okay. He's a dancer and he's really good at yoga."

"Lucky you."

"Yeah... I am. I am really lucky."

"You sound very happy."

"I am very happy."

"I'm glad to hear it, Riley. Once you've looked over this info, I strongly suggest that you have a discussion with Wayne. Because, lets face it, as two young guys, it's bound to happen. We just need to make sure you're both on the same page when it does."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"So Riley, have you logged on to our website yet?"

"Yeah, a little bit."

"We have some great information there but we also have some more specific stuff that I can send to you."

"No! My mom would have a heart attack."

"We certainly wouldn't want that. How about electronically, do you have email?"

"Yeah."

"Great, so let me email you some reading materials. You can look over them at your leisure and give us a call back if you have any questions. How does that sound?"

"Perfect. Thanks Josh."

"Glad you called?"

"Definitely."

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AN: So, I was thinking oneshot with this. Then again, I was also considering having Zane call in as well. Thoughts?


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